The most unbelievable goals in the history of soccer

ZURICH (AP) -- FIFA's ethics judge has imposed life bans on a former coach of Togo's national team and a Zimbabwean official in a long-running case of fixed friendlies played ahead of the 2010 World Cup.

ZURICH (Reuters) - Global soccer body FIFA said on Thursday it had banned former South African soccer head Kirsten Nematandani and two other officials over violations related to friendly matches played in 2010. Former South African Football Association president Kirsten Nematandani was banned from all

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said a proposal to expand the World Cup finals to 48 teams, with 16 groups of three teams, received enthusiastic backing at a meeting of national federations on Thursday. A select meeting of national federations from Asia, Europe and Oceania met with Infantino on Thursday

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has suggested having 16 three-team groups if the World Cup expands to 48 countries. Members of the FIFA Council received a recommendation from world soccer's governing body setting out five proposed formats for its showpiece event from 2026 - two 48-team team options

Several construction companies rigged their bids for 2014 World Cup stadiums, driving up costs by overcharging for the work, according to Brazil's anti-trust body. ''So far, there are indications that at least five bids related to World Cup stadiums were the subject of the cartel,''

By Brian Homewood LAUSANNE, Switzerland (Reuters) - Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has lost his appeal against a six-year ban for ethics violations, imposed amid the biggest corruption scandal to shake the world soccer body, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said on Monday. CAS ruled that

Sepp Blatter lost his appeal against a six-year ban by FIFA on Monday, and now has more serious legal cases lined up against him. The former FIFA president, who was banned for approving a $2 million payment to Michel Platini in 2011, said he will accept the decision. ''I have experienced much

Argentina's Football Association hired a company that charters flights to transport superstar Lionel Messi and the rest of the national team for a World Cup qualifying game without knowing the name of the airline or the model of the plane, an official said Friday. The plane was the same British

Attacking midfielder Omar Abdulrahman won the Asian Football Confederation player of the year award for helping Al Ain reach the final of the continental club championship and steering the United Arab Emirates into the last round of qualifying for the World Cup. ''This achievement is a national

Bruce Arena knows the job of U.S. soccer coach has changed since his last game a decade ago. Arena took over from Jurgen Klinsmann last week following losses at home to Mexico and at Costa Rica in the opening two games of the final round of World Cup qualifying.

Five months after saying he lacked the experience to coach England, Gareth Southgate landed one of soccer's toughest roles on Wednesday by showing he can handle the responsibility. The 46-year-old Southgate pulled out of the running to succeed Roy Hodgson after England's European Championship

Swiss authorities say their criminal investigation into FIFA has expanded and former secretary general Urs Linsi is a suspect. The case relates to Germany's staging of the 2006 World Cup and a suspicious payment of 6.7 million euros ($7 million) that went through FIFA in 2005 when Linsi was its

Colombian authorities searched for answers Tuesday into the crash of a chartered airliner that slammed into the Andes mountains while transporting a Brazilian soccer team whose Cinderella story had won it a spot in the finals of one of South America's most prestigious regional tournaments. The British

Bruce Arena opened a binder to a page with 48 names, his depth chart for the U.S. soccer team. Back in charge for the first time in a decade, he views the Americans' state as urgent following losses in the first two games of the final round of World Cup qualifying and already has plans. During

Gareth Southgate will remain in charge of England's national team. An English Football Association panel has decided to hire Southgate as Sam Allardyce's permanent successor, people with knowledge of the situation said Tuesday. Southgate was hastily promoted from the under-21 team in September

Brazil's new coach is tearing up South American World Cup qualifying. In six matches in charge, Adenor Leonardo Bacchi - known universally as Tite (pronounced Chi-Chi) - has won all six. Now he's offering to challenge Europe's best, including defending champion Germany, as the five-time

Officials overseeing World Cup preparations in the southern Russian city of Sochi say construction work on the city's stadium has finished on time. The stadium held the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2014 Winter Olympics, but has yet to host a soccer game because it needed extensive modifications

China Railway Construction Corp has secured a contract to build a stadium for Qatar's 2022 World Cup, according to a statement by the tournament's organizers. The state-owned Chinese construction enterprise will operate as part of a joint venture with Qatari contractor HBK Contracting to build

Soren Kjeldsen and Thorbjorn Olesen kept their nerve and shot a six-under-par 66 in the final round fourballs to give Denmark a first World Cup of Golf triumph by four strokes at Kingston Heath on Sunday. "It's difficult to describe my feelings," said Kjeldsen, before lifting the Hopkins